Eddie Hearn has revealed that he purposely deceived Jake Paul’s team over how much Anthony Joshua was weighing.
Hearn negotiated for Joshua to return in an eight-round heavyweight bout against Paul in Miami on December 19, live on Netflix.
‘AJ’ is restricted to weighing in at 245lbs, over seven pounds lighter than he weighed before his last fight – a fifth round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
Hearn, who claims he will retire if his charge loses to the YouTuber-turned-boxer, says he told Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian that the 36-year-old was weighing over 25 pounds heavier than he was.
“I spoke to AJ and he was sitting at 265lb (18st 13lb) or something like that,” the Matchroom Chairman said on the BBC 5 Live Boxing Podcast.
“I think I told Nakisa [Bidarian] that he was 290lb (20st) or something like that.
“They said ‘the only thing is that Jake will weigh about 220lb (15st 10lb) or 225lb (16st 1lb) and we want AJ to come down in weight’.
“He’s a heavyweight and hasn’t cut weight before.
“They said, ‘look we’re not being funny and it’s not that we need an advantage but we need you to have some disadvantage’.”
View this post on Instagram
Paul, who made his professional debut under Hearn in 2020, will fight for the 14th time as a professional in his toughest test to date against the former two-time heavyweight world champion.
‘The Problem Child’ was supposed to have fought lightweight champion, Gervonta Davis in an exhibition earlier this month, but it was scrapped after Davis was accused of hitting an ex-girlfriend in a civil lawsuit.
‘AJ’ towered over Paul at their first face off last week, but the 28-year-old insists the height difference will suit him.
“He’s very tall,” he said in a media scrum following the press conference.
“But that means I can use my speed and my size to my advantage as well.
“Watching his Dubois fight, watching the Ruiz fight, even watching the Usyk fight.
“When you look at it, he’s lost to guys who are smaller than him.
“It’s his weakness. It’s his kryptonite.
“It’s the faster guys who don’t get hit by his big punches.”
The post Eddie Hearn reveals how he misled Jake Paul over Anthony Joshua weight appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.